Posts from January 2021

The nonsense of style: Academic writing should be scrupulous not stylish

by Dominik Lukeš · 2021-01-17

The problem with writing advice The problem with the likes of Steven Pinker and Helen Sword is that they like their own writing way too much. But I don't. Like their writing, that is. [1] I want to get some information from them and I want to get examples and counterexamples for the points they…

Metaphors and freedom: On Tolkien's notion of allegory vs applicability

by Dominik Lukeš · 2021-01-01

On rereading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, I was struck by this passage in his foreword to the second edition: I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability…